Monuments Are for Men, Waffles Are for Women: Gender, Permanence and Impermanence

Produced by Lynn Lovdal. 32 min. Color. 2000. Available as: VHS and DVD Captioned: No Catalog #: 0069 Order this title Sale Price: $225.00 Apply for Discount

The unwritten rules governing the traditional activities of men and women are sharply but subtly defined. Women's work has traditionally been repetitive and ongoing, and its end result short-lived and impermanent. In contrast, the activities of men are traditionally long-lived, durable, or permanent.

This thought-provoking video explores numerous and diverse instances of this often unrecognized but pervasive gender (and, often, racial) division and examines their causes and social consequences.

Designed for use in a broad range of disciplines, this engaging production features illuminating first-hand testimony by college students and case studies drawn from topics that will be immediately familiar to students. "Monuments Are for Men" is a powerful resource for any instructor who wishes to stimulate lively class discussion on issues surrounding the social construction of gender activities and on the ways that these patterns of activities are perpetuated in contemporary American culture.

It was produced by and features Prof. Lynn Lovdal, whose earlier video, "Sexism in Language," is used in courses in speech, interpersonal communication, and gender studies at hundreds of colleges nationwide.

Reviews

"By introducing the concept of permanence and impermanence in the work of men and women, this video raises critical issues regarding gender and social identity. The video explores the impact of gender on the meaning of our work and life, the ways in which our contributions are recognized and valued by our society -- in essence, our raison d'etre. The examples of the impermanence associated with women's work will generate lively student discussions of how women construct meaningful identities and valued social contributions in the context of gendered-work that is repetitive and ephemeral. College students are incorporated in the video and viewers follow the progressive development of students' thinking about gender issues as students present their research findings." -- Deirdre D. Johnston, Assoc. Prof. of Communication, Hope College